▲ This undated file photo shows a student walking in front of a private tutoring academy in southern Seoul. (Yonhap)

private education spending-decrease

Spending on private education turns downward in 2025

SEOUL, March 12 (Yonhap) -- Spending on private education for young South Korean students declined last year after hitting record highs for four consecutive years, a government survey showed Thursday.

The participation rate and duration of private after-school classes for elementary, middle and high school students also decreased in 2025, according to the survey conducted by the education and statistics ministries on 74,000 students at 3,000 schools nationwide.

However, based on the students who actually participated in private education, the average monthly expenditure per person continued to increase and the proportion of those spending over 1 million won (US$680) per month also rose in a possible sign of worsening polarization of private education.

The survey showed that the total amount of private education expenses for elementary, middle and high school students was 27.5 trillion won in 2025, a decrease of 1.7 trillion won, or 5.7 percent, from 2024, when it recorded an all-time high.

Total expenses on private education in 2024 reached 29.2 trillion won, breaking the record for the fourth consecutive year following 23.4 trillion won in 2021, 26 trillion won in 2022 and 27.1 trillion won in 2023.

Last year, the total number of elementary, middle and high school students was 5.02 million, a decrease of 120,000, or 2.3 percent, from the previous year.

Private education spending for elementary, middle and high school students fell 7.9 percent, 3.2 percent and 4.3 percent, respectively, last year. The private education participation rate was 75.7 percent, down 4.3 percentage points from the previous year.

The average monthly spending on private education per student also declined 3.5 percent on-year to 458,000 won. But the average monthly spending amounted to an all-time high of 604,000 won in terms of the students who actually participated in private education.

The survey also found that the higher the household income level, the higher the private education expenditure and participation rates.

Households with the highest average monthly income of over 8 million won spent 662,000 won on private education, the highest of all income groups. Their private education participation rate was also the highest at 84.9 percent.

On the other hand, households with an average monthly income of less than 3 million won spent 192,000 won on private education, with their participation rate standing at 52.8 percent.

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